Tag Archives: Celebrity/musician deaths

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Levon Helm 1940 – 2012

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Levon Helm, was born in Marvell, Arkansas. He grew up in Turkey Scratch, a hamlet West of Helena, Arkansas. His parents were cotton farmers, and they were also music lovers, which is how Levon got turned on to music. Levon began playing the guitar at the age of 8 and started to play the drums later on. When he saw, Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, that’s when he decided that he wanted to become a full time musician. Over the years, Helm was a big fan of blues, southern country music, and rockabilly. Helm began playing around bars and clubs in his hometown of Helena, at the age of 17.

After Helm graduated high school, he was asked to join Ronnie Hawkins band, the Hawks, which they would later tour as Bob Dylan’s backing band. The legendary classic rock band, The Band, formed later on as a few members were from the Hawks. They got their name, the Band, ’cause what Bob Dylan referred them to. Helm was going to name themselves either, The Honkies, or the Crackers but the label didn’t agree with those names.

The Band, is most famous for their anthem, “The Weight”, which you still hear on the radio and through Hollywood movies (most notably, “Easy Rider”) to this day. The Band, reformed in 1983 for a tour.

Over the years, Levon continued to perform live and make music as a solo act for the Midnight Ramble sessions. Which is a series of live performances in his studio in Woodstock, New York. These were fundraiser concerts to help raise money for his medical bills after he was diagnosed with cancer.

Levon Helm, passed away today, he was 71 years old.

Kev

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Dick Clark 1929 – 2012

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Dick Clark was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York. His career in show business began in 1945, when he worked for the mail room for WRUN, a radio station owned by his uncle and managed by his father in Utica, New York. After graduating high school, Clark started off working in the office at WRUN, but then he was asked to fill in for the vacationing weatherman. Then he moved on to doing television and was a radio DJ for a radiostation shortly after.

Clark is most famous for hosting “American Bandstand”, hosting the New Year’s Eve special on ABC (which he has been doing since 1972), and was the longtime host for gameshow, “$100,000 Pyramid”.

Clark was also respected for his passion in music, as he was a big music lover like all of us. Dick Clark, died of a major heart attack today at the age of 82. For now, Dick Clark, so long. *military salute*

Kev

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Jim Marshall 1923 – 2012

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Jim Marshall, was born in Acton, West London, and he was a businessman, musician, and the pioneer of guitar amplification. He is most famous for creating the Marshall amps, which are mostly used in either half stacks or full stacks. Many famous rock legends have used the Marshall amps over the years and changed rock history forever. Everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page to Pete Townshend to Slash has used them over the years. They are used to create guitar sounds that are able to fill big arenas and large music halls. I know most famous musicians like to use Gibson Les Paul guitars and Marshall amps together. I never played through a Marshall amp before, but I know musician buddies that owned one. This is sad news and another sad loss to the guitar community. RIP Jim, and may the Marshall amps live on forever. I do hope to own a half stack someday, though.

Kev

Celebrity/musician deaths, Local music

RIP: Ernie Williams…

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Ernie Williams, first picked up a guitar at the age of 13 in the 1930’s. He was originally from, Virginia, where he was living in a shack on a Virginia Plantation. He became inspired by the blues and wanted to become a bluesman. At the age of 19, he moved to Harlem, N.Y., to pursue his dream in music. In the 50’s, he would play gigs 7 nights a week. He would do everything from amateur nights to juke joints in the dark corners of the city.

In the 60’s, he moved to Albany, to work day jobs to support his family, so his musical dream was put on hold. In the 70’s, when the blues scene started to get huge, he formed himself a band and he’s been playing gigs in Albany ever since. He was never signed to a label, I believe. He has always been an unsigned musician.

Even though he was never famous nationally, he did create a huge legacy in the Capital District area. He never cared for fame, he did it for the love of music. Ernie Williams, longtime frontman of the Wildcats blues band, passed away today at the age of 87. Before his passing, he still kept performing live and playing gigs. He never gave up.

This is a sad loss in the music scene. Will the Capital District put on a tribute show for Ernie? It’s too early to say but I’m sure an Ernie Williams tribute concert will be planned out soon. He lived a long and good life. I never knew the guy and never saw him perform, but I respect him greatly. Thank you, Ernie!

Kev

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Ronnie Montrose 1947 – 2012

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Without Ronnie Montrose, there would be no Sammy Hagar. Ronnie was the one who helped launched Sammy’s career and fame. Montrose was the first major band Sammy had before his solo career and Van Halen.

In Ronnie’s earlier life, he grew up in San Francisco, but ran away from home to Colorado when he was 16. There, he formed the band, Sawbuck with bassist, Bill Church, in 1969. Later, he briefly played guitar for Boz Scaggs, and the Edgar Winter Group. Yes, he did play guitar on the Edgar Winter hit instrumental, “Frankenstein” and, “Free Ride”.

Later in 1972, he formed his own band, Montrose, in which he recruited, Sammy Hagar as his lead singer. They did two albums together. A self titled album and a second album, called, “Paper Money”. They are most famous for their hit, “Rock Candy”.

Over the years, Ronnie continued to play live. In 2009, he announced he had prostate cancer. Ronnie lost his battle with cancer and passed away. He was 64.

Kev

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Davy Jones 1945 – 2012

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When I was a child, it was the Monkees that was one of the first that got me into music. I was obsessed with their TV show and would watch it all the time in the old days. Davy Jones has always been my favorite Monkee out of the 4. As a child, I would play their music all the time, and would sing their songs all the time. They were a childhood inspiration of mine, even though they were a fictional band for a TV show. I loved the Monkees as a kid and still do this day.

I believe it’s time for me to start learning a song by the Monkees for my next video tribute. What song should I do? I’m thinking of doing, “Daydream Believer”, the one that Davy sings.

RIP Davy. I’m totally bummed. 😦

Kev

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Whitney Houston 1963 – 2012

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I was watching the news on CNN tonight for the Election coverage, and a breaking news story interupted, with reports saying that Whitney Houston just died. Like everyone else, I am very sad and heartbroken by the news. I’ve admired Whitney’s music ever since I was a child, and used to watch, “The Bodyguard”, movie all the time.

Whitney began her music dreams at the age of eleven by singing for a gospel choir. She got into music inspired by her mother, Cissy Houston, who is also a famous singer. Whitney started to learn to sing as a teenager. Whitney was inspired to become a singer with the likes of Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and Roberta Flack, who are her influences. In Whitney’s teenage years, she would get her start at performing clubs with her mother, Cissy. Clive Davis, first saw Whitney and her mother perform, so he signed her a contract for Arista Records and Whitney signed. After the record deal, Whitney made her television debut on, “The Merve Griffin Show”.

Over the years, she has been releasing albums, and releasing a lot of hit singles such as “Saving All My Love For You”, “All At Once”, “I Will Always Love You”, “I’m Every Woman”, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, etc. The List goes on. She has also won many Grammy’s and many other awards.

She was also an actress, who did films such as “The Bodyguard”, “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife”. She was in the middle of doing a new movie, called, “Sparkle” this year.

Nobody knows her ’cause of death, but she has been struggling with drugs & alcohol addiction for years. She was a beautiful lady and talented. Whitney Houston was 48 years old.

Kev

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Etta James 1938 – 2012

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Etta James, a legendary US singer, who sang a variety of genres over the years, she sang just about everything from blues to R&B to rock n’ roll to gospel and jazz, she passed away today, after a battle of leukemia. Etta is famous for hit songs such as, “Dance With Me Henry”, “At Last”, “Tell Mama”, and “I’d Rather Go Blind”.

Etta, first started singing at the age of 5, and she got her start at singing for church choirs in Los Angeles. At the age of 14, Etta started listening to doo wop music after her mother died, and Etta formed her own musical group, the Creolettes. Her talent was first discovered by Johnny Otis (who also passed away just a few days ago), and he was the one who helped get the Creolettes signed to Modern Records.

She started a solo career in 1960 and she continued to perform & make music ever since then before her death. Etta James was 73 years old.

Kev

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RIP: Barbara Orbison 1950 – 2011

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Barbara Orbison, the widow & wife, of rock music legend, Roy Orbison, has passed away due to pancreatic cancer on the 23rd Anniversary date of her late husband. While Barbara was never a musician herself, she was a pretty big part of the music business, as she was the one who managed Roy’s career and she helped co-produced a lot of Roy’s staged musicals. While this is sad and heartbreaking, I’m sure this is what Roy would have wanted was to have her pass away on the same Anniversary date of, Dec. 6th. Roy and Barbara are survived by their two sons, Roy Jr. and Alexander. I’m sure their kids would become aspiring musicians like their father.

Kev

 

Celebrity/musician deaths

RIP: Andy Rooney 1919 – 2011

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Andy Rooney, one of the most famous TV personalities have passed away. He is most famous as one of the commentators for the CBS news magazine, “60 Minutes”. He was commentator from 1978, all the way to 2011. He just retired from “60 Minutes”, not too long ago.

He is one of those guys that you either love or hate. He have always been controversial for years, but no matter what you think of him, he was a legend and an icon in the news business. He died five weeks after his last appearance on, “60 Minutes”. He was 92, years old.

Edit to add: On a side note, I didn’t know that Andy Rooney was actually from here, the Capital District area. I just read that he was born in Albany, N.Y.

Kev